CANEX 2026 to Boost Investment, Jobs and Export Opportunities in Nigeria’s Creative Economy
ABUJA, September 30, 2026
The Federal Government has identified the Creative African Nexus (CANEX) 2026 as a major platform for attracting investment, creating jobs and expanding Nigeria’s creative exports.
The four-day event, scheduled for November 5–8, 2026, in Lagos, is expected to attract more than 10,000 participants, including investors, financiers, distributors, off-takers and creative entrepreneurs from Africa and beyond.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this in Abuja during a press briefing on the event. She said CANEX 2026 would provide opportunities for business linkages, financing, market access and commercial partnerships across the creative value chain.
Oduwole described CANEX as more than a celebration of African creativity, saying it is designed to position the creative economy as a significant driver of trade and investment. She noted that Nigeria’s strengths in music, film, fashion, literature, visual arts and digital content provide opportunities to expand non-oil exports and generate greater economic value from the country’s creative assets.
The Minister said the event would particularly benefit creative enterprises and small businesses by connecting them with investors, international distributors and new markets. She added that opportunities would span production, technology, branding, marketing and distribution, with potential to generate employment for Nigeria’s youthful population.
Oduwole also stressed the importance of intellectual property commercialisation and value retention, noting the need for Nigerian creators and businesses to capture a larger share of the economic value generated from their works through improved trade, licensing, financing and monetisation structures.
She reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to working with Afreximbank and other stakeholders to translate CANEX 2026 into concrete business outcomes, including partnerships, investment, financing and access to international markets.
She further highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an opportunity to expand cross-border trade in creative goods and services, with the broader objective of enabling Nigerian creative businesses to scale beyond the domestic market and compete more effectively across Africa and globally.
Edited by Rosemary Aiyenale
